Frogs & Princes
by Audacia's Quill
Summary: Michael knew was that he was going to make up for his father's mistake, he would take in Craig, and do the best to be a brother – the only problem…is he only knows how to be a monster,"  Janine ButcherxMichael Moon pairing too
1. Frogs and Rockstar Princes

**Frogs and Princes**

_Written on 18/09/2011 to correspond with the latest events in EastEnders and will be updated per release/spoilers relating to the Moon characters emerging._

_A Michael Moon & Craig Moon centred story with a MichaelxJanine Malloy nee Butcher pairing. (If anyone has any ideas for Janine and Craig Moon interaction –it'd be appreciated)_

_Summary: "Michael knew was that he was going to make up for his father's mistake, he would take in Craig, and do the best to be a brother – the only problem…is he only knows how to be a monster,"_

_Note: Michael Moon will get more into character as the story progresses, but is being developed more emotionally to develop the relationship with Craig. Don't worry, he's still smarmy, scheming and manipulative._

_**Disclaimer:** I Do Not Own Or Write For, EastEnders - the following is non-profit entertainment that is unrelated the official soap._

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Craig Moon loved his frogs. Michael never understood why and neither did his dad, Eddie – but they were happy to keep on getting him toy frogs. Among all the frog paraphernalia, was a book, now this wouldn't be unusual except Craig wasn't much of a reader, and it was a children's book. It was the 'Princess and the Frog' – which was no surprise really, that the only book he owns would be frog related. But he always liked the part where the princess kissed the frog and he turned into a prince. Craig always thought himself to be a bit like the frog in the story, except he knew he would never turn into a prince, but that was okay. Why? Because he rather liked being a frog, because Eddie always taught him that only true princesses – ones on the inside, and smarter people could see the prince inside the frog, without needing to change into something perfect – something Craig was not.

Nor would he ever be – he had downs syndrome, Craig never let it get in the way of what he liked, what he wanted to be or who he wanted to talk to. Eddie couldn't be prouder of that, but to Michael Moon nothing would ever erase the fact Craig had been tucked away like a filthy secret. The words of his brother refused to leave his mind.

'_You're the eldest, you're the one dad kept'_

The one dad kept – he winced everytime he thought about it. It didn't matter how much Eddie had tried to make up for that to Craig – buying him toy frogs, making him paella, coming back when he spared a moment away from the Moons that he'd kept. Michael Moon would not forgive his father, even if taking Craig away was done in an effort to keep him from being rejected by their mother in the first place. What about after? After she died, then there was no reason other then perhaps, that seed of shame, watered by fear of what the world and the rest of the established family would think of Craig Moon.

The downs syndrome had initially shocked Michael Moon 'but he's not like me, is he?' he'd said. But the reality came to him as they had sat down and Craig had pulled out that locket, the same one Michael owned.

Craig Moon was his full blooded brother, and all Michael could see was the only other piece of direct family then his previously forsaken father and Alfie, a man with the same locket, the same blood – the same mother.

With that, Michael made a decision.

"You're coming to Walford with me," Michael added emphasis to the last word – he would _not _be sucked into the Eddie Moon menagerie of brothers, even if he'd somewhat forgiven Eddie after the revelations about his less-then-saintly mother.

Craig Moon smiled widely – he'd finally see everyone just like dad promised. Michael wasn't sure what was going through Craig's mind, but his own was racing – he didn't _do _compassion, or brotherly love. He didn't know how. He was a slimy, jealous, swarthy man hidden under a thickly smeared cover of charm, cheek and looks.

But it was there, even if it was a small, tentative, often misunderstood feeling that a damaged man like him rarely found. He loved Craig Moon, and he would be enough of good brother to try to last all of the years he'd been shacked away.

"Have you told dad?" asked Craig "-or is he coming in the car with us?"

"No Eddie doesn't know," he did his trademark smirk "-I think he expected to introduce you to the family himself, so this will be like an early surprise,"

"I know you love Eddie, definitely more then I do," snorted Michael "-but you're _my _brother. He kept Anthony and Tyler and…me," even though it didn't feel like it "-but they are my stepbrothers, I'll never be one of _their _Moons," he tried explaining.

Craig nodded but looked a bit confused as Michael continued.

"I'll never get jokes about pink BMX bikes and clocks, inside stuff like that; we're outside the circle even if we all do share Eddie's blood," after Michael said that, Craig nodded and felt a little sad for his brother.

"-just like Anthony and Tyler won't understand badly made paella and frogs," added Michael.

"Oh," muttered Craig.

"But you've got me," said Michael, opening the door as Craig wheeled out a suitcase and headed for the cab.

"And I have a lot of years to make up for don't I?" he muttered, more to himself then to Craig.

Craig didn't reply and just smiled at Michael again, who went silent as they both sat in the back and headed for Albert Square.

Craig couldn't be happier; it felt like things were finally happening for him after being promised them so long. He didn't expect his rockstar-like brother to take him in, hell, he hadn't expected Michael to be so different.

Michael _was_ the prince of the story, he was everything Craig wasn't, he had a self-described inability to forgive, a lack of something undamaged inside of him as opposed to having it on the outside for the whole world to see. Craig wore his heart on his sleeve and humanity in the skin of a frog, whereas Michael kept frog inside of himself and wore the skin of someone seemingly perfect.

Craig blinked out of his thoughts as he felt a strong arm around him and a hand curling onto his shoulder and jerkily bringing him close to Michael. It was a forced action at first, all they'd really done was high-five each other, so Michael tested the waters. The Tyler and Anthony style of outward affection was decidedly not something he was used to, but after Craig beamed at Michael, he decided he could make little allowances for it.

"What're the people like in Albert Square?" asked Craig innocently enough, making conversation as the cabbie drove.

"Well there are nice enough people, like Alfie and…" he paused, struggling for a moment "-Dot, Patrick, old folk generally. Then there's people like…Phil Mitchell, he locked me in a van at an abandoned warehouse when I was due for a business opening," he said all too casually. Craig looked at him like he'd grown an extra head and wondered briefly what exactly he'd signed himself up for.

"But it's okay, you're with me," he smirked, to which Craig just swallowed nervously as a white road sign reading _Albert Square_ came into view.


	2. The Curious Case of Anthony Moon

**Frogs and Princes**

_A Michael Moon & Craig Moon centred story with a MichaelxJanine Malloy nee Butcher pairing. (If anyone has any ideas for Janine and Craig Moon interaction –it'd be appreciated)_

_Note: Michael Moon will get more into character as the story progresses, but is being developed more emotionally to develop the relationship with Craig. Don't worry, he's still smarmy, scheming and manipulative._

_**Disclaimer:** I Do Not Own Or Write For, EastEnders - the following is non-profit entertainment that is unrelated the official soap._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

In the end, Michael ended up getting the cabbie to pull up at Kim & Denise's B&B, he could have brought Craig home to Anthony, but after talking it over with Craig, he decided it may be easier to wait until they received word on what happened with Tyler, so they could reunite all together and properly. With Anthony in the state he was in, Craig understood but was excited to get to know Walford too.

Though Michael _was _surprised he had to explain Tyler's situation to Craig in the first place, it seemed Eddie had a habit of keeping him in the dark. To distract from that was the very loud, and very happy presence of Kim Fox who greeted Michael in warmly. It was no secret she favored her male guests, particularly good looking ones.

"-tall, dark and handsome returns!" she grinned, it was evident she'd had her midday bubbly.

"Actually I'm not the one staying, I was wondering if you could set up my brother with a room?" Michael brought Craig in who smiled nervously as Kim gave him a brief once over, and held back the urge to nosy in on how exactly they were...brothers.

"How many more Moons poppin' out the woodwork?" she said lightheartedly, Michael gave it a quick false laugh and got a good rate and kept Kim sweet on payments as she watched him rush off with his brother, keen to introduce him to Patrick and Denise, presumably to ease him into Walford.

Actually the more Michael thought about it, the more he realized he probably could have dealt with housing Craig a whole lot worse, and thanked his lucky stars for Kim's favoritism. Even if half the reason she was so nice was on the off-chance of catching him out the shower if he stayed over.

With that business sorted, Michael headed toward the gym, he needed to speak with Jack Branning - his business partner, about the unlicensed fight that had put Tyler in the hospital. What were the repercussions?

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><p>Jack did not want to speak with Michael initially, he was still seething and had to pull a number of strings within the local old bill in order for them to drop any sniffing around the unlicensed fight. It had taken a lot talking, and a lot of paying off, so all in all, Jack was not a happy camper.<p>

He filled Michael in on that and he practically sighed with relief, and switched off as Jack preceded to shout at him for overstepping his authority, not treating the business partnership properly and generally being sick in the head for arranging Tyler to take that fall.

"I understand you wanting to get to Eddie, but using Tyler to do it was sick Michael," said Jack angrily.

"He was collateral damage," said Michael, trying to save some face, even if there was a small twang of guilt, he would not show it - not to Jack.

"Collateral damage?... Just do me a favor Michael and _do one _for a while because I've had enough of your sorry mug," said Jack, essentially booting him out the gym for a while. Michael was rather glad to be out of there, since Jack sounded awfully close to thumping him one, he was _that _angry about it.

He had no urge to deal with Vanessa Gold right then and there, and the cancelled plan to break Eddie (which was now: operation pay Vanessa to go away), frankly he'd had enough of his own plans that evening. He didn't even want to go and check in on Tyler again really, there was the slightly pressing issue of Anthony Moon.

Eddie had said some atrocious things in the heat of his sadness, even going as far as to wish Anthony in that hospital bed instead of Tyler, in fact, Michael had listened in on Eddie just tearing Anthony to bits, who was left in tears.

Michael headed for the Moon house but didn't find Anthony there and was about to reconsider going to the hospital to find him until he found him walking blindly out of a house party in the Beale house, held by Mandy Salter.

It seemed he didn't know what to do with himself either, his eyes were red, swollen and puffy, his nose and cheeks a solid pink-red while his lips were curled in as he resisted the urge to cry anymore. He walked across the Square with his head down, unwilling to let anybody see that - until he bumped into a red trenchcoat-sporting man.

Looking up to apologize he saw it was Michael, looking down to him with a raised brow.

"Maybe we should leave Eddie with Tyler for a while, hm?" he suggested, "-come on, lets get home for a while, you could do with freshening up,"

Anthony stuttered out several times, suggesting they go back, but Michael could sense the fear in his voice - truthfully he only wanted to see Tyler, if Eddie left, so the hospital was a no-go for now.

"He shouldn't have said what he said Ant," said Michael, putting on a caring facade - he did pity Anthony after hearing Eddie lace into him, he just wasn't good at genuinely showing it unless pretending he was faking.

"I lost the whole eight grand," his voice cracked "- I bet _against _Tye!"

"You did, and it was stupid, the actions of a child," said Michael firmly, stepping into his role as the eldest, and then he softened slightly "-and they should be treated as such,"

"But _eight grand_, that's_ everything _we worked for," said Anthony, nearly in tears at how much he'd gambled away.

"I can fix this," said Michael firmly.

"How?" asked Anthony, hope bubbling in him.

"Never you mind about that, in fact, run yourself a bath, I'll call the hospital later for anything on Tyler, I'll ...go out and get us a takeaway," suggested Michael "-and maybe pick out a DVD or something to stick on the telly, the show must go on,"

"It feel's weird doing all that while Tye's..." trailed off Anthony.

"All we can do is keep calling and checking until they discharge him, besides Eddie's all over it, right?" and Anthony couldn't argue with that statement, even if relaxing did seem a bit selfish right then and there.

"Thank's Mikey," said Anthony quietly, as Michael made his way to the door, and froze for a moment.

It seemed it wasn't just Craig in danger of being sucked into the Moon menagerie of brothers, but for a moment, he wondered if it'd be a bad thing. If it was, he'd live to regret it, as his offer to fix the broken Moon finances was quite simple - fill them with his own... it looked like he needed to get the gym some positive business... or a loan after to make up for it, because fixing Anthony's mistake, could very well bleed him dry.

* * *

><p>She looked ridiculous, not because she was ugly or clownish but the fact that a dirt poor, despised woman had not only finished with the most out of everybody, but the fact that she had, was rubbing it karma's face, daily, to a point where it was ridiculously surreal. Of course, this would be Janine Malloy and her new-found fortune as a millionairess thanks to her dear deceased Auntie Lydia.<p>

Phil Mitchell was quite surprised that someone hadn't tried killing Janine after the amount of people she's pissed off, but he really wished they had, because co-running the R&R with her made him want to throttle her. He almost missed having Roxy Mitchell on board, the bird was a bit dense and gobby as hell but at least she turned into a doormat and was easy to shut up, with Janine, this was not the case.

Even his attempt to lock her in the R&R ended with her trumping one over on him by pulling the fire alarm, and to make matters even lovelier for Janine, she got to be alone in the R&R with Michael Moon.

The man was scheming, and had about as many friends as she did, basically, slim to none. He was manipulative, and had a dark veneer about him that was compelling, Janine often did not get sucked into the charms of other men, but she had kissed Michael quite hard, after finding some of herself in the rather desperate-state Moon.

Of course, they'd gone even further later, had a one-night stand, she wished some of it wasn't a drunken blur, something gave her the sense that if she did remember, she probably wouldn't have let Michael Moon leave her front door.

The man in question could be seen grabbing several cheap pizzas from _Little Caeser's Pizza _and loading them into the car, walking out of the Minute Mart where she'd grabbed a quick bottle of bubbly she made a beeline for it.

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><p>Looking over his window, Michael halted, deciding not to drive as he saw a blond bombshell approaching. She wasn't one in the traditional sense of the word, except her makeup had been done impeccably, she was sporting a black dress that clung awfully tightly to her form, had abandoned her jeans and tights, and was in battered heeled boots she'd yet to replace. On her left shoulder was a very expensive looking carry bag that looked like it cost more then her entire ensemble and professionally straightened hair and chains of jewelry, and a long neck of alcohol sticking from said carry bag.<p>

It was none other then Janine Malloy.

"Look what the Mercedes dragged in. If you want another night like the last one we had, I'm afraid I don't do back-seats," smirked Michael, hands relaxed on the steering wheel.

"How about the front then?" retorted Janine cheekily and half-seriously, scanning Michael's traditional trench-coat and slacks attire in the car.

"You know, it's a shame I can hardly remember it," drawled Janine, half-seductively, half-honestly.

"That's odd, I always give a memorable performance," retorted Michael smoothly.

Janine then leaned into the rolled down window, with Michael taking an ample look at her immaculately made-up face and low-necked start of the dress, rather unashamedly.

"Then, maybe you should remind me," she smirked.

"I suppose that depends on how drunk you get me, Janine," said Michael somewhat snidely.

"I don't have to, I always get what I want," she replied smarmily.

"I'm sure you do,"


End file.
